Wireless communications devices such as the BlackBerry® by Research In Motion Limited provide a variety of useful functions, such as voice communication, e-mail and Web browsing. Instant messaging and e-mail are extremely popular applications on these devices.
U. S. patent application Ser. No. 2008/0268767 (Brown et al.) entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SELECTIVE INTERFERING WITH WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES discloses a technique for disabling operation of a wireless communications device to prevent usage within a vehicle. A drive circuit coupled to an antenna produces interference within a communications band in response to vehicle motion above a certain threshold.
Even if active interference precludes data transmission or reception over the communications frequency band, some device users might nonetheless remain tempted to type and save draft e-mails for sending at a later time when the active interference is shut off, i.e. when the vehicle has come to a full rest.
U. S. patent application Ser. No. 2004/0254715 (Yamada) entitled IN-VEHICLE EMAIL INCOMING NOTICE UNIT AND EMAIL TRANSMISSION UNIT discloses an in-vehicle navigation device capable of notifying a driver of an incoming email. The device restricts notification to the driver if the speed of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold. This prior-art technology also fails to inhibit the user from attempting to type outgoing messages or to type and save draft messages.
A means of inhibiting users from typing messages while operating a motor vehicle thus remains highly desirable.
It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like features are identified by like reference numerals.